Willard group anticipates successful season

Apr. 4, 2013

Jared Duncan, right, has hunted with the Ozark Greenway Thunderin' Gobblers for the last four years. His guide, Ted Crews, has been with the chapter for two years. Duncan shot the turkey near Fair Grove on his parents' property. / Submitted photo

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turkey hunting

Spring turkey hunting is an outdoors activity involving a variety of skills. First, you have to find a gobbler. Then you have to call him into range. Then you have to have a thorough knowledge of firearms handling and hunting regulations to ensure that you close your hunt in a successful — and safe — fashion. Hunters can learn more at a free turkey hunting clinic today at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Southwest Regional Office in Springfield. It’s part of the department’s Discover Nature Families series. When: 6:30-8 p.m. today Where: 2630 N. Mayfair Ave. Who: Hunters of all ages Topics include: Calling, locating, firearms safety, hunt preparation, how to identify legal birds and how to improve shooting skills Register: 417-895-6880

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When 12-year-old Eli Bingham killed his first turkey during youth season last spring in Douglas County, his dad couldn’t have been more excited for him.

During the regular season, Randy Bingham called in another turkey for his son in Dallas County, and Eli was again successful.

Randy Bingham said that when people ask him if he killed any turkeys he says, “My son shot two, so I feel like I got two turkeys last year.”

The Binghams, of Willard, are members of the Ozark Greenway Thunderin’ Gobblers, a local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation in Willard. The chapter held a safety training day March 16 when adults and children registered and checked in their firearms in preparation for this weekend’s youth hunt.

Randy Bussard, chapter president, said he lives to take kids hunting.

“To see a kid’s face when they see a bird, let alone shoot one, you just can’t replace it,” Bussard said.

With improved turkey reproduction rates over the past two years, the Binghams and other hunters can expect to have a successful season this spring.

There will be more 2-year-old gobblers — which are generally more vocal and willing to come to hunters’ calls — because of a good hatch in 2011, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Turkey production in 2012 increased 42 percent compared to the previous five-year average and rose 21 percent compared to the 10-year average, the department reported.

Poor hatches affected Missouri from 2007 to 2010 and could have been the result of wet conditions during nesting.

While drought affected the area in some negative ways, drier conditions might have improved turkey production.

Jason Isabelle, an MDC resource scientist, said fluctuation in turkey production is normal and drier conditions are linked with improved production rates.

“During the last two years, the springs and summers have been drier in general,” Isabelle said. “Overall, it will be a good spring. Most of the regions should see an increase in harvest this year.”

Missouri’s turkey population hasn’t experienced two consecutive years of production comparable to 2011 and 2012 in more than a decade.

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Mark Creed, a conservation agent for Greene County, said the county ranks high statewide for the number of turkeys harvested.

“This area is really, really good,” Creed said. “I don’t know what’s made us stand out so much more from everybody else.”

Greene and Dallas counties were among 11 in Missouri to harvest more than 200 turkeys during last year’s fall season, according to MDC.

Regulation changes

Since 1987, turkey hunters have been required to place a “Be Safe” sticker on their shotgun. This spring, that will no longer be a requirement.

In the late 1980s, hunting accidents occurred more frequently.

“Back then, hunters didn’t have to be hunter education certified,” Isabelle said. “There’s been a decline in hunting incidents across the board. That’s largely due to more people getting hunter education certified.”

There was no proof that the sticker was improving hunting safety, Isabelle said, and compared to states that did not require the sticker, Missouri’s hunting incident numbers didn’t vastly differ.